Kansas lawmakers blocked a plan to expand Medicaid. It was one of the bigger surprises coming out of Topeka this week.Many thought expanding Medicaid would pass because both Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and a top Republican leader in the Senate crafted a deal.Randy Callstrom, of the Wyandotte Behavioral Health Network, said he thought it looked good.”So it really did. We thought this was going to be the year,” Callstrom said.But expansion was linked to abortion politics and it failed, angering expansion plan supporters.”And they seemed to have put the needs of a very small group of people with a lot of money in front of the needs of the folks who really needed the health care,” said the Rev. Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan, of Poor People’s Campaign.But budget hawks said that expanding Medicaid was too expensive and Kansas could not count on heavy federal funding forever. The plan would have permitted another 130,000 Kansans on Medicaid, such as a family of four making more than 36,000. Right now, there are a lot of working poor in Kansas making too much for Medicaid, but not enough to join the Affordable Care Act.”You’re in that doughnut hole and you’re just stuck without access to health insurance,” Callstrom said.”Because they have complicated health situations, but also because they don’t access health care soon enough. When we don’t have access, we don’t go. It’s pretty basic,” Oglesby-Dunegan said.Medicaid expansion in Kansas failed this year. Medicaid expansion in Missouri is on the ballot this year. Either in August or November. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson may decide as early as next week whether to have the Medicaid vote in the summer or in the fall.

Kansas lawmakers blocked a plan to expand Medicaid. It was one of the bigger surprises coming out of Topeka this week.

Advertisement

Many thought expanding Medicaid would pass because both Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and a top Republican leader in the Senate crafted a deal.

Randy Callstrom, of the Wyandotte Behavioral Health Network, said he thought it looked good.

“So it really did. We thought this was going to be the year,” Callstrom said.

But expansion was linked to abortion politics and it failed, angering expansion plan supporters.

“And they seemed to have put the needs of a very small group of people with a lot of money in front of the needs of the folks who really needed the health care,” said the Rev. Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan, of Poor People’s Campaign.

But budget hawks said that expanding Medicaid was too expensive and Kansas could not count on heavy federal funding forever.

The plan would have permitted another 130,000 Kansans on Medicaid, such as a family of four making more than 36,000. Right now, there are a lot of working poor in Kansas making too much for Medicaid, but not enough to join the Affordable Care Act.

“You’re in that doughnut hole and you’re just stuck without access to health insurance,” Callstrom said.

“Because they have complicated health situations, but also because they don’t access health care soon enough. When we don’t have access, we don’t go. It’s pretty basic,” Oglesby-Dunegan said.

Medicaid expansion in Kansas failed this year. Medicaid expansion in Missouri is on the ballot this year. Either in August or November. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson may decide as early as next week whether to have the Medicaid vote in the summer or in the fall.

Go to Source

Kan. lawmakers block plan to expand Medicaid – KMBC Kansas City